What's up, y'all?! The 3rd dragneel, coming back with the start of the next arc for War Beyond Worlds. Man, to be able to finish that small filler arc is good, especially since the next arc will introduce another Champion I'm looking forward to adding. Let's get to the reviews so we can get this chapter out of the way!
Fpinhero96: Thanks. This next chapter will be intense.
BanRedfox: Wow, didn't expect the ending to get you, pal. But yeah, Oliver's magic definitely fits him and there will be a lot of interesting fights involving him.
TheEmeraldMage: Technically, Oracle ISN'T a Champion, just a watcher. But yeah, this is one of the few times FT didn't blow everything up… it won't last. Hope this chapter will get you pumped.
Zatil Hidayah Spensa: I still gotta read 100 year quest. But it's good to hear Mashima hasn't lost his edge.
Azure Chevalier: Some choices could work, but the rest… no.
To recap: After Oliver confronted the men controlling Okaiba Town, he and the rest of the Fairy Tail group were able to properly meet the mayor, who explains the current situation. With careful planning, the group set up a trap and although the bandits were an issue, in the end, they were defeated. The next day, before they left, the Fairy Tail group were surprised to receive two new recruits: Oliver and the talking white owl known as Oracle.
What will await our heroes now? Let's find out...
'Magnolia'
Lucy Heartfilia felt really good this morning. She woke up from a wonderful dream of her being a famous writer, her bath felt amazing and she had a fulfilling breakfast.
The best part? Natsu and Happy didn't break in and mooch off her! To anyone, that is an achievement in it of itself.
So here she was, sitting at her desk while writing in her letter that was for her late mother.
Hi mom,
It's been awhile since I wrote to you, huh? Well, things have been pretty insane in Fairy Tail. Especially since me and friends fought a Dark Guild! Yeah, it was crazy. But thanks to everyone, we were able to stop them and Yusei even took down a demon of Zeref's with a dragon! Hehe, I bet you wouldn't believe me if I told you. But still, everyone is amazing. Just a few days ago, we met another hero from a place called Star City named Oliver. He's really serious, but he's not a bad guy. His skills with his bow and arrows is amazing. I guess that's why people call him the Green Arrow in his world, even though it's more dark green than anything.
But anyways, the demon Lullaby became big news. It made all the papers and it seemed like everyone was talking about it. Before joining Fairy Tail, I never imagined I would be a part of such a big event. It feels awesome, but I won't let it go over my head. I even heard the authorities caught most of the Eisenwald Guild members who were involved. But the scary thing is that Erigor's still missing. I'm a little worried he'll show up in Fairy Tail to get revenge. Still, it's nothing I should worry about since I'm part of Fairy Tail's strongest team. Not to mention the three Champions and their talking owl. Oh yeah, they have an owl named Oracle. She's cute, but a bit blunt. Everyone in the guild is amazing, so don't worry about me, mom. I'm doing fine.
P.S.
Don't tell dad any of this.
Lucy let out a relieved sigh as she put her pen down. Even though she wasn't going to send the letter, it still felt nice to write in it every now and then.
"Morning." A yawn was heard that caused Lucy to turn around. Walking into the living room is none other than her new roommate, Maki Oze. She was currently wearing the same clothes as before, which she didn't mind given how there was no need for her bunker gear.
"Hey. Sleep well?" Lucy asked her friend while giving a smile. "I'm sorry you had to sleep on the couch."
"No, it's fine. Compared to the bunks we slept in while I was in the army, your couch was a cloud." Maki replied with a chuckle. She then noticed the letter on Lucy's desk. "Is that the story you were writing?"
"Oh no. It's just something I was writing for my mom." Lucy answered before she realized something. "Wait… how do you know about that?"
"Happy might have told me." Maki confessed with a nervous giggle. "But don't worry, I won't read any of them." Seeing the expression on her friend's face, Lucy softened her expression while sighing.
"Yeah, I know." Lucy said before her smile returned. "Still, it's good to have a roommate to split the rent."
Given how many people slept in Natsu and Happy's house, it was obvious that one of the two Champions sleeping there would leave. Maki was the first to offer to move and luckily, Lucy offered her a place to stay in exchange for help with the rent. When they all returned to Magnolia, Maki and Oliver got their Guild Marks from Mirajane and for the most part, everyone accepted the two Champions(though some of the female members were giving the Green Arrow suggestive looks). Maki smiled as she looked at the back of her right hand, which had a black Fairy Tail guild mark on it.
"No kidding. Especially since it only costs 70,000 Jewel a month." A new voice called out from behind Lucy, causing her to turn around.
Sitting on her orange chair in his boxers was none other than Gray Fullbuster. He gave Lucy a smirk and casual wave.
"You really scored, Lucy." Gray said casually, though Lucy was of another opinion.
"INTRUDER ALERT!"
*SMACK*
Faster than one would expect from her, Lucy spun around and kicked Gray square in the chest, causing him to gasp in pain. "NO STRIPPING IN MY HOUSE, BUDDY!"
"Hey, hold on!" Gray called out with a hand out before he turned around. "I was already naked when I got here."
"That's actually true." Maki spoke up with a sweatdrop.
"You let him in, didn't you?" Lucy questioned with a blank face, getting a guilty look from Lucy. "That's fine. But if he's gonna come, he has to keep ALL his clothes on."
*Knock, knock*
A sudden knock on the door caught their attention. Curious, Lucy walked to the door and opened it.
"Is everything okay?" Oliver Queen asked with mild concern, dressed in a simple black shirt and jeans. His clothes hugged his rather lean and muscular physique and his dark green guild mark was slightly seen on his right bicep.
"Oh, hi Oliver. I didn't know you were coming over." Lucy said with a smile before she adopted a confused expression. "But how did you know where I lived?"
"I didn't." Oliver admitted as he moved away and gestured towards the door behind him, which was slightly open. "I heard you screaming from my room."
"You heard me screaming… from your room…" It took Lucy a moment before she gasped. "You're my new neighbor?! Since when?!"
"Last night, actually. I was looking for a place to stay and I met the landlord on the streets." Oliver started explaining. "She said there was an open room and that the first month would only be 35,000."
"That's half of what Lucy usually pays. That's amazing." Maki said with a smile.
"I guess." Oliver said with a mild shrug. Just because he knew how the currency worked doesn't mean he understood it completely. "And why is Gray in his underwear?"
"I was naked before I got here. No biggie." Gray replied with a casual shrug. Oliver wanted to question it more, yet for some reason, he felt it wasn't going to be a simple answer. Gray then got serious. "I'm pretty sure Lucy and Maki forgot about today, so I came to get them."
"Today? What's so impor-" It took Maki a second before her eyes widened in realization. "The fight!"
"That's today?!" Lucy added with her own gasp. With all the insanity of Lullaby and Oliver joining, she had completely forgotten about Natsu and Erza's fight.
Oliver, being left out of the loop, gave them a look.
"Can someone explain what's happening?"
'Fairy tail Guildhall, sometime later'
Fairy Tail was known for being a 'unique' type of guild. That much is known to all the citizens of Magnolia, who were the unfortunate victims of their Guild's excessive behavior. So it came as a surprise to see a large majority of the Guild crowded in front of their Guildhall, chanting in excitement.
Standing in the center of their crowd were Natsu Dragneel and Erza Scarlet, each staring at the other with serious intent. They ignored the cheers they were getting from their peers in order to focus on their coming battle.
"So Natsu agreed to go on the mission with all of you if Erza accepted a fight after they came back?" Oliver asked the group as they arrived at the Guildhall.
"Yeah. The idiot thinks he can beat Erza, but I just wanna see his ass get kicked." Gray said with a small smirk at the thought of his rival on the ground, begging Erza for mercy.
"You know, that kind of talk makes it sound like you hate each other." Maki told him with a nervous laugh, although she couldn't help but imagine Arthur and Shinra like that.
"Hey." The group looked ahead and saw the Head Signer waving at them. However, Yusei was not wearing his usual attire. He wore a plain black shirt under a sleeveless brown vest, jeans and his usual shoes.
"Morning, Yusei. You look good today." Lucy complimented with a smile. She liked his biker look, yet these new clothes worked for him, not that she was judging his choice of clothing.
"Since my clothes were a bit ripped from the Lullaby fight, I decided to get some new clothes. Natsu was able to lend me some money." Yusei commented with a small smile before he looked at Maki. "How's living with Lucy?"
"It's actually really nice. I did feel bad about taking up space from Natsu and Happy." Maki confessed while scratching her cheek. "But actually, Oliver moved across the room, so now we're all neighbors."
"It's not a bad place to live." Oliver said with a nod before he looked over Yusei's shoulder. "They're really going to fight, aren't they?"
"Personally, I don't see why they should." Landing on Yusei's shoulder was none other than Oracle, who looked at the group with a somewhat bored expression.
"Honestly, I forgot you were here." Gray admitted while looking at the owl.
"Hmm, I didn't expect you to, human." Oracle scoffed at Gray's words before she turned her head 180 degrees to look at the fighters. "Based on the amount of magic each possess, I believe the one known as Natsu will fail. He is bashful, head strong and lacks any form of common sense."
"That's a bit harsh, don't you think?" Lucy asked with a raised brow.
"Hi Lucy! Everyone." Mirajane greeted them with her usual warm smile. "I hope all of you are well today."
"Aren't you worried this fight could tear our strongest team apart?" Lucy asked with a concerned tone.
"Strongest team?" Oliver questioned with a raised brow.
"That's kind of a nickname that was given to Natsu, Gray and Erza since they are considered the strongest wizards here." Maki explained with a finger raised. "Then again, me, Lucy and Yusei were a part of it too, so I guess we count."
"I'm not sure about that." Yusei said while scratching the back of his head.
"What idiot thought the three of us were the strongest?" Gray said with an annoyed tone.
Unfortunately… he didn't realize WHO started that rumor.
In an instant, Mirajane began to cry while covering her face with her hands.
"Oh, y-you're not an idiot, Mira." Gray said with a comedy expression, not wanting to upset the white haired bartender anymore than he already has.
"Good one, Gray." Lucy scolded while Maki bonked Gray on the head with a disapproving expression, making the two male Champions sweatdrop.
"Natsu and Gray are strong, but they don't hold a candle to Erza." Cana suddenly appeared next to Oliver, bottle in hand. She smirked while looking at the archer. "So, how's being in the Guild treating ya, sexy?"
"It's fine, thanks." Oliver said, not looking at her given how she wasn't wearing a shirt. Given how mature he was(and the fact he was a father), Oliver didn't want to get with any woman and wanted to show them respect. Cana noticed his expression and chuckled.
"Sheesh, you gotta lighten up, hot stuff. Here, try some." Cana offered Oliver a swig of her bottle, which he politely denied.
"But calling Erza the strongest woman in the Guild's pretty accurate." Levy McGarden, the sole female of team Shadow Gear, commented.
"But as far as the guys, I'd put my money on Laxus or Mystogan." Jet, the orange haired male next to Levy, said out loud.
"Don't forget Gildarts, if he ever comes back." Droy, the other male standing behind Levy, said his own two cents. However, the mention of that name made Cana frown slightly, though no one noticed.
"It's been quite a while since we've squared off like this, hasn't it Natsu?" Erza asked the Dragon Slayer with a smile.
"I was a little kid back then. Today's gonna be different." Natsu said with a serious expression while clenching his fists. "Cause I'm taking you down, Erza." This comment made Erza smile a bit more as she closed her eyes.
"Well, I'm going to go easy on you." Erza commented before opening her eyes. "In fact, I have the perfect armor for this occasion." With that, her whole body began to glow yet again.
'So this is Erza's Requip magic.' Oliver thought to himself, carefully observing the S-Class wizard's magic, given how he had a similar magic for his equipment. Erza's current armor disappeared before it was replaced with something new, to which the light around her body evaporated.
Erza's new armor was predominantly dark red in color, but also had orange and black parts, with the orange parts being shaped like flames and the other parts being reminiscent of Dragon's limbs. The breastplate lacks pauldrons, revealing Erza's shoulders, and extends down to cover her groin, revealing her legs and, in a way, being reminiscent of a one piece swimming suit, with an orange part covering her breasts and another one circling her waist like a belt. The black parts are mostly decorative, with the exception of the one covering her groin. The breastplate also possesses a pair of Dragon-like wings attached to it. The gauntlets sport prominent orange decorations, along with small claw-like protrusions on the hands. The greaves are shaped like Dragon's claws which possess orange-colored knee guards and black parts which extend up from the knees to the upper part of the thighs. In addition to all of this, while donning this outfit, Erza's hair is tied into a pair of high, long pigtails by clips, resembling Dragon's horns in some way. She also held a mostly red large sword with a small amount of black in the middle and orange on its hand guard.
"Wow, she looks amazing!" Maki squealed with stars in her eyes, amazed at the beautiful new armor Erza was showing off.
"That's Flame Empress Armor. A good choice against fire magic." Macao informed those who didn't know.
"So now Natsu's flames will only be half as effective." Laki added.
"Come on Erza, at least give the kid a fight chance." Wakaba joked from the sidelines.
"So Erza has armor that focuses on different elements." Yusei said while rubbing his chin. Erza continued to impress him with her versatile magic.
"And given how skilled she is with a sword, Natsu won't be able to win easily." Oliver added in a serious tone. Still, Oliver knew that experience wasn't always a deciding factor, with his fights against Darhk and Ra's as prime examples.
"Cana…" Happy spoke up with a serious tone. The drunk looked down at the cat with a raised brow… before he offered her some money. "Put me down for Erza in the first round."
"You got it." Cana said with a grin as she took Happy's money and placed a line on the board behind her. It was divided in two halves: one for Natsu and one for Erza. While there was a considerable number of people who were betting on Natsu, a large majority of the Guild were betting on Erza… which wasn't all that shocking.
"You're betting against your own best friend?!" Lucy exclaimed loudly, shocked to see how easily Happy was at betraying Natsu.
"Lucy…" Said person turned around as Maki looked at her with a nervous smile. "Can I… borrow some money?"
"Why? Are you gonna bet on Natsu?" Lucy jokingly said, only to notice Maki nod. "Wait, seriously?"
"I just kinda feel bad, you know. Besides, he could win." Maki said, trying to be reasonable.
"Highly unlikely." Oracle said offhandedly. Regardless, Lucy gave Maki some Jewel in order to bet on Natsu.
"Flame Empress Armor, huh? Good news for me." Natsu said with an excited grin. He ignited his fists. "Then that means I can go all out!"
Makarov then appeared between the two, raising a hand with a smile. "Round one, start!"
Without a moment's hesitation, Natsu rushed towards Erza with a fire fist, only for her to dodge with ease. Igniting her weapon, Erza slashed it at Natsu, who quickly ducked under it. Natsu used this chance to ignite his feet before kicking Erza on the side, forcing her to block it. Erza retaliated with another slash that sent Natsu back before she rushed him. He quickly unleashed a Fire Dragon's Roar, though Erza flew past it as Natsu attempted to roast her.
"See? It's a good fight." Elfman said with a grin with his arms crossed.
"This fight sucks." Gray commented, disappointed at the lack of Natsu getting his ass kicked.
"They look so even. It's crazy." Lucy said in awe at the display of power.
"You're wrong." Oliver told her while walking up next to her. "Erza's holding back. Natsu may be strong in terms of speed and fire, but Erza has more experience with close combat."
"If anything, she's just toying with Natsu." Maki added, a concerned frown on her face. She had hopes that Natsu would be able to at least get some good hits in, Erza was the better fighter.
*CLANG*
The sound of a gong ringing entered the ears of everyone present. It was even loud enough to stop Natsu and Erza, who were inches away from striking one another. "ENOUGH! THIS FIGHT IS OVER!" Everyone turned their heads to see who was speaking up.
The speaker… was a bipedal humanoid frog woman with yellowish skin, wearing rather sophisticated clothes and a small hat.
'A talking frog… really?' Oliver thought while rubbing the bridge of his nose. He can handle metahumans, magic users, aliens, but frog people was where he drew the line!
"May I have your attention please?" The frog woman asked to get their attention. "I have come here on behalf of the Magic Council."
"What?"
"Is this for real?"
"I didn't think the Magic Council would send someone here."
Multiple members began muttering to themselves about possible reasons for the Magic Council sending a representative… though it may be because of the damage their members have caused.
"Am I the only one who noticed she's a frog?!" Lucy asked, wondering why everyone was so relaxed about this.
"We are, but that isn't what we're worried about." Yusei said while putting a hand on her shoulder. He had a really bad feeling about this.
"As a result of the Eisenwald Incident, two members of your guild have been charged with eleven counds of criminal property damage." The frog woman said before she said two names no one expected.
"Erza Scarlet and Yusei Fudo. You are under arrest."
"HUH?! You're putting them under a-WHAT?!" Natsu questioned loudly, unable to comprehend what was going on. One minute, he and Erza were having a great fight. And now both her and Yusei were being arrested.
"May I ask more about these charges?" Makarov asked the frog woman with a serious expression, not liking the idea of his children going to jail.
"I apologize, but that information is classified." The frog woman told the old Guildmaster with no remorse.
"There's no way you're taking them!" Natsu shouted as he got in front of the frog woman with a deep glare, making her flinch.
"Failure to bring Miss Scarlet and Mister Fudo will r-result in drastic measures." The frog woman said in an attempt to get Natsu away from her. A metal hand was placed on Natsu's shoulder, revealing it to be Erza, who had requipped back into her Heart Kreuz armor.
"Natsu, stand down." Erza ordered with a stoic tone.
"But Erza!" Natsu spoke up.
"If the Magic Council wants me and Yusei, then we must comply." Erza replied in a calm tone. As much as she hated the thought of being arrested, thinking about what the Council would do to the Guild if she refused made her even more concerned.
"She's right, Natsu." Yusei spoke up while stepping forward. Natsu wanted to argue, but the look Yusei was giving him was more than enough to stop him. If he can trust Yusei with watching his back during the whole Eisenwald fight, he can trust him with this. Two guards walked up to Erza and Yusei, placing handcuffs on their wrists.
"To Era!" The frog woman declared before she went inside the carriage. Erza was the next to enter the carriage, followed by Yusei. However, he stopped to look at Maki and Oliver. Both Champions gave him a nod of understanding before he entered as well. Once the door was closed, the rune knight who was the driver motioned the horses to move ahead.
What was supposed to be a fun morning quickly dissolved to a somber one.
'Two hours later'
The Fairy Tail Guild was in a somber mood. Many of its members simply sat in silence, with a few out on jobs to get their minds off what happened. Lucy had her head on the table while Maki sat across from her, a worrying frown on her face.
"HEY! THIS IS SO UNFAIR GUYS! LET ME OUT!" Inside a glass bottle is a small bipedal salamander wearing Natsu's clothes. It let out small flames from its mouth in anger.
"Natsu, try to calm down." Mirajane urged him with a frown.
"Let me out, pretty pretty please?!" Natsu urged while flailing his arms.
"You'll just go on a rampage to save Erza and Yusei the second we let you out." Mirajane added while getting close to Natsu with an even deeper frown, only for Natsu to try and urge her to change her mind.
"Even if we could go, it's not like we can fight the Magic Council." Gray said with a disappointed frown. Even though he felt bitter towards the Council for arresting Erza and Yusei, unlike Natsu, he understood the consequences. "And if the Council says you're guilty, you're guilty. There's no way to change it."
"But it doesn't make sense." Maki spoke up. "Erza wasn't the only one who fought Eisenwald. We all did. If that was the case, we'd all be arrested for helping Erza, yet only she and Yusei were taken in."
"I don't get it. We destroyed plenty of stuff in the past, so why is it different now?" Elfman asked with a hand on his chin.
"It doesn't make sense at all." Laki added in a depressed tone. Oracle, who stood on a wooden pillar, looked down at everyone with a frown.
'Humans always try to understand things they can't. Perhaps it's for the best.' She thought to herself.
"There has to be a deeper reason for it." Lucy commented out loud. However, as she turned her head, she noticed something amiss. "Hey, where's Oliver and Happy?"
'Outside the Guildhall'
"Okay, you ready?"
"Aye. But are you sure this'll work?"
"It will. We got all we need. Now give me your best Erza impersonation."
In the alley near the Guildhall, two people were talking as 'quietly' as possible. The first person was Happy, yet the second was in fact Natsu Dragneel.
However… they weren't dressed in their usual attire.
Happy was wearing a red wig with a small wooden barrel around his body, small gauntlets that covered his paws and a wooden sword in hand. As for Natsu, he was wearing Yusei's old clothes, with parts of his hair colored yellow to try(and fail) to match his friend's hair, as well as a single yellow line on his left cheek.
"Okay…" Happy coughed in his hand before standing up strong and pointing the sword in the air. "I'm the strongest female wizard in fairy Tail! Give me all your cake!"
"Awesome! That sounds just like her!" Natsu complimented his feline friend before he got in a stance. "Listen to this. Let's Rock It Up!"
"I don't think he's ever said that, Natsu." Happy said with his ears dropping in embarrassment for Natsu. "Are you sure Macao can keep everyone busy?"
"I'm sure. He owed us for helping him. Besides…" Natsu got a serious expression. "We need to show that it isn't their fault for what happened. Come on. If we hurry, we can catch up!" Picking up the blue cat, Natsu began to run out of the alley…
"Do you really think this will work?" However, Natsu stopped in his tracks as he turned his head, only to find Oliver leaning against the wall, giving the two a raised brow.
"Oliver! How long have you been there?!" Happy shouted with his eyes shooting out of his eyes in shock.
"Long enough." Oliver simply answered while stepping away from the wall, a serious look on his face. "Natsu, I know what you're going to do, and I'm here to tell you it's not a good idea."
"Look, you weren't there. It wasn't just Erza and Yusei fighting. So why are they the ones who're in trouble?" Natsu told the archer in frustration. "The Magic Council's been on our ass for a long time and now they decide to do something? It's not fair!"
"Nothing's fair, Natsu. Believe me, I know." Oliver told him with a hint of bitterness in his voice. He more than anyone had seen how cruel his world is and although he hadn't been here for long, Oliver could tell this world wasn't any different. "But charging in with… that isn't going to work."
"Then what?! We sit around and wait?! What if they do something to Erza and Yusei? What if they make him spill everything about the Champions? Aren't you worried?!" Natsu practically roared at Oliver while getting up in his face. However, Oliver simply remained calm as he looked Natsu straight in the eye.
"You're right. I'm worried." Oliver admitted, making Natsu and Happy widen their eyes a bit. "But what bothers me is how they took Erza and Yusei. If you, Lucy and the others were involved, why arrest just two of you? It doesn't make sense unless they WANTED those two."
"Now that you say it, it actually makes a little sense." Happy spoke up in realization.
"So… you're saying it isn't about what happened with Lullaby?" Natsu asked, a bit confused by what Oliver was saying.
"I'm saying there's more to this than any of us know." Oliver replied before he put a hand on Natsu's shoulder. "Look, I understand how you feel. But if you go right now, there's a chance you'll make things worse for Yusei and Erza, maybe even the entire Guild. Do you really want that?"
Natsu wasn't as big of an idiot as everyone thought he was. Even he knew that there were consequences to him and Happy going to Era, yet he wanted to help out his friends. Still, Oliver brought up some good points. There had to be a reason for the arrest, yet he didn't know.
Plus… there was a chance the disguises he and Happy had might not work and Erza would probably kill them.
"Fine." Natsu finally relented while relaxing his shoulders, much to Happy's shock.
"Wow, you actually got Natsu to stop. No one else other than the Master and Erza could do that!" Happy shouted in surprise. "How'd you do it?"
"Let's just say I have experience handling rookies." Oliver told the cat with a small smile.
"Hey, who are you calling rookie?!" Natsu shouted with a tick mark on his head, feeling insulted by that word. Oliver let out a small chuckle from his mouth, slightly amused by Natsu's attitude. At least one crisis was averted.
But still… Why did the Magic Council want Erza and Yusei?
'National Council-Fiore Branch, a few hours later'
The National Council Fiore Branch stood as a place of judgment for those deemed worthy in Fiore, whether it'd be royals, high ups or even the wizards who protect this country.. It is here that Erza Scarlet and Yusei Fudo were about to face a trial neither of them expected to face. They walked through the halls, their hands cuffed as they followed the same frog woman, who strangely kept saying the word 'ribbit' over and over again.
"I'm sorry you had to be brought here, Yusei." Erza told the Head Signer after a whole trip of silence, glancing at him over her shoulder. "The only reason you're here is because I chose to attack Eisenwald without the Council's permission."
"Don't, Erza. I'm not blaming you for anything." Yusei told her in a calm tone. "Besides, this isn't my first trip to jail." Erza actually widened her eyes and she looked at him. "I'll tell you later."
"Ribbet?" The frog woman suddenly stopped in her tracks, with Yusei and Erza following suit. They looked ahead and saw Siegrain leaning against one of the pillars, his eyes closed and arms crossed. He soon opened his eyes and looked at Erza, smirking a bit.
"Siegrain." Erza exclaimed in surprise, making Yusei raise a brow.
'Does she know who he is?' Yusei thought to himself. From the tone Erza had, she sounded both shocked… and a bit scared. Which didn't fit her character at all. The frog woman got on one knee and bowed to Segrain, which further confused Yusei.
"It's been quite a while, Erza. Please relax." Siegrain said jokingly with his arms open before he noticed the duelist from New Domino City. "And hello to you, Yusei Fudo. I admit, it's an honor to finally meet the one who can summon a dragon to kill one of Zeref's demons." Both Yusei and Erza narrowed their eyes at this.
"I see. So this trial is nothing but a farce, is it? You wanted to interrogate Yusei." Erza said with venom in his voice, making Siegrain chuckle.
"Oh, that's only part of the reason you're here. But I do commend you for guessing, my dear." Siegrain said smugly as he stepped forward, standing right in front of Erza. "You see, there are some things the Magic Council is facing that involve Lullaby and given how you and your friends were the ones that destroyed it, the geezers thought it best to use you as a sacrifice."
"You're using Erza as a scapegoat? Just so you won't take the blame?" Yusei spoke up with narrowed eyes. "I thought the Magic Council was trying to keep peace, but instead, you decide to throw whoever under the bus just so you'll have power."
"Oh my, you sound rather angry. Could it be you've seen this dirty side of justice before?" Siegrain walked past Erza and Yusei, stopping right behind the latter. "Now that is something I'm curious about, especially with someone who has no record of even existing in Fiore." Yusei clenched his fists a bit at this. He should have known he wouldn't be able to hide for too long, but now he was facing the entire Magic Council.
Not what he was planning to experience today.
"How is it that a person like you can be a complete mystery for years and only just appear? That is something that's been on my mind for quite some time." Siegrain admitted with a smirk as he looked at Yusei. "Erza here is the scapegoat, but you're our main focus. So please, do comply. We wouldn't want anything to happen to Fairy Tail, especially since me and my friend have been staunch defenders for you for a while now. Let's be civil, shall we?"
"Enough!" Erza sharply turned towards Siegrain, her voice echoing through the hall and scaring the frog woman.
"It's just a friendly warning, nothing more." Siegrain waved off her tone before he got up to her and placed a finger under her chin, getting closer to her face. "But just in case, I recommend the two of you to not say anything about what you know to anyone." He then moved close to Erza's ear. "Especially with you know what. For the both of us."
However, Siegrain moved back as Yusei stepped forward, getting between him and Erza.
"Don't do that." Yusei warned in a cold tone, his sharp blue eyes glaring daggers at Siegrain. He hated seeing his friends being manipulated like this, especially with his experience with Goodwin and the Dark Signers.
"That's good. Don't lose that fire, mister Fudo. You may regret losing it someday." Siegrain complimented the Signer before he started to walk towards the courtroom. "I must join my colleagues on the Council." He then turned his head to look at them. "I'll see you two inside." And with that, the blue haired Council member went to the doors, entering it before closing them.
"Oh wow. I know some very important people." The frog woman told Erza while standing up, impressed by how close she and Siegrain were. However, Erza didn't turn to her as she glared at the doors.
"He's evil." Erza muttered. She flinched as Yusei put a hand on her shoulder, giving her a concerned look.
"You okay? You look a bit shaken up." Yusei asked her as soothingly as possible. Erza looked just like Akiza whenever she was reminded of the Black Witch and he hated that.
"I'm fine." Erza replied before giving him a small, but grateful smile. "Thank you, Yusei."
"If you wanna talk about it later, I'm here." Yusei reminded her, getting a nod. The least he could do was hear out any issues she had, even though it appeared she would rather keep it to herself.
But, they still had a big obstacle to face first.
'Courtroom, a few minutes later'
The sound of a gavel slamming on the table rang through the courtroom as the ten members of the Magic Council sat on their chairs. Below them were the two wizards Erza and Yusei, along with another frog woman.
"This courtroom will now come to order!" The councilmember frog woman said while holding a piece of paper in front of her. "Before us are the defendants Erza Scarlet and Yusei Fudo. Please take the stand, miss Scarlet." Erza was the first to stand in front of the podium.
"Erza Scarlet, you stand before the Council to answer to charges stemming from the incident involving the dark guild Eisenwald." Gran Doma stated in a stern tone before he looked at the paper in front of him. "These charges include extensive damage to Oshibana station, the collapse of the Reeyusika Gorge Railway Bridge and the complete destruction of the Clover Meeting Hall. There are eleven property damage charges against you. According to eyewitnesses, the perpetrator is described as a heavily armored female wizard."
"Yes, I was the one who arranged for my guildmates to attack Eisenwald." Erza spoke up with a stoic tone. "However, given the information I heard, I couldn't stand by and allow them to use an item as dangerous as Lullaby."
"Even if that is the case, that doesn't excuse your guild's actions." Gran Doma cut off with a serious tone. "Without order, the Magic Council everyone had entrusted their lives to would crumble. Chaos would occur and our way of life would be destroyed."
"But you're willing to use someone as a scapegoat, right?" Yusei suddenly said with a somewhat angry tone, catching the attention of the council members.
"We haven't begun to discuss your role in this, mister Fudo." Fran Doma told the Signer.
"You talk about the people losing their trust in you, yet you don't even trust them enough with the truth. If it wasn't for me, Erza and our friends, who know what could've happened." Yusei added, much to the annoyance of some of the members, except for three.
"Mister Fudo, if I may ask, where are you from?" Ultear asked suddenly with a smile.
"What does that have to do with Erza?" Yusei asked the black haired woman, trying to stall for time to explain his origins.
"It can help with your situation." Kane added while focusing his one visible eye on Yusei. "Eyewitnesses claim you summoned a dragon to kill Lullaby. How are you able to do that?"
'Yusei, if you're concerned about me, don't. It's too much of a risk.' Erza thought as she looked at her friend. She knew that sacrificing herself would go a long way to ensuring Yusei and the others' secret about their worlds would be kept in the dark.
"I have a special Card magic that allows me to summon monsters. That's how I summoned the dragon." Yusei lied calmly. To most people, it would be difficult to tell if he was lying or not.
"So in a way, it works like Celestial Spirit magic?" Yajima questioned while raising one of his bushy eyebrows.
"Yes, it does. The monsters I summon are just constructs of my magic brought to life." Yusei further lied, though he was hoping they wouldn't take away his deck.
"I see. Though it is still a mystery how you possess such magic." Gran Doma said with a suspicious tone. "We have much more to discuss with-"
The doors to the courtroom suddenly opened up, catching everyone's attention. "Sorry for intruding, but I think I'm needed here." A new, rather calm voice spoke up.
The speaker was someone no one knew. They were a male around his thirties with slightly tan skin, blue eyes and combed back brown hair. He wore a white button down shirt under a long dark brown trench coat, black pants, a matching tie, and shiny brown shoes. In his right hand is a file with several documents within it.
"Who are you? How dare you enter the courtroom during a trial." Gran Doma berated the man with a booming tone, though the man merely smiled.
"Please, I hope I'm not causing too much trouble. But I am here to help the defendants. Miss Erza Scarlet and Yusei Fudo, if I'm right." The man said as he walked up to stand next to Erza, who gave him a confused look.
"I'm sorry, but who are you?" Erza questioned the man, who chuckled a bit to himself.
"Right, I should introduce myself." The man said while standing up straight. "Adrian Chase, attorney. I'm here to represent my clients in this rather unjust case."
'But we never asked someone to defend us.' Yusei thought with narrowed eyes. Although he was glad to change the subject before it could get even more heated, the fact this stranger came out of nowhere to help him and Erza was baffling. 'Stardust, what do you think?
"I don't trust this man." The Signer Dragon said with a growl. "There's something about him that makes me reluctant. Don't believe him." As much as Yusei wanted to question his dragon's words, he had to save it for another time.
"An attorney? Well, that certainly is a surprise, even for you, Erza." Siegrain spoke up with an amused tone. "Please, go on, mister Chase."
"Wait a moment! We won't allow this! Guards!" Gran Doma shouted as several Rune Knights burst through the courtroom, surrounding Adrian. Yet again, he merely smiled.
"Oh, I wouldn't do that if I were you." Adrian said in a rather smug tone before he raised the file so everyone would see. "Right here are documents that confirm the reason behind this fake trial, if you could believe it. If I was arrested and even if you took the file in my hand, I have friends that will publish the evidence to every paper distributor in Fiore. Just imagine the reaction everyone will when they learn the Magic Council they trusted ended up using someone else to take the blame for their screw up. Your status could be taken, your position replaced. Hell, I doubt you would even be able to step outside of your homes without an angry mob outside."
"How do we even know this is real? For all we know, this could all be a lie!" One of the council members shouted as the other members added their input.
"He isn't lying." Kane spoke up loud enough to get their attention. The one eyed council member looked at Adrian. "Those who lie tend to show a reaction. A twitch of an eye, a small movement from their hand, even their nose will twitch at the sign of their lie being discovered. Yet the man in front of us is confident."
"Search him." Gran Doma ordered the Rune Knight nearest Adrian. They complied and took the file from the attorney, giving it to the frog woman. She opened the file and began reading the contents before gasping.
"Sir… this is real." The frog woman said with a nervous tone, much to the horror of many of the council members.
"And a good attorney ALWAYS makes copies. LOTS of copies." Adrian mocked with an amused chuckle. This was a rather dire situation the Magic Council faced. Considering the fact Adrian Chase HAD actual proof and the fact he assumedly had copies was enough to make them hesitant to arrest him. This was exactly what they wanted to avoid, hence why Erza was brought in.
"What are your demands?" Gran Doma finally said with a defeated tone.
"Simple. I'm here to defend my clients, so in exchange for freeing them and dropping this whole 'case', I'll rip up all my copies. Seems like a simple trade, wouldn't you say? I know people like you depend on your status." Adrian offered the Council, a calm tone in his voice. It was clear that he expected the old geezers to accept his offer.
"But why Yusei Fudo? He's here for another reason." Gran Doma asked with narrowed eyes.
"Yeah, here's the thing." Adrian said while clapping his hands together. "You may have the power to arrest anyone, but without a just reason, you could lose everything. Besides, the two people I'm defending did more to protect the Guildmasters than any of you have for Fiore in the last year." His insult got many glares from the Rune Knight, frog people and a lot of the Magic Council, save for a few.
Siegrain leaned against his palm with a smile.
Ultear was surpressing a giggle by cupping her mouth.
Even Kane showed the smallest hint of a smirk.
"Besides, if you actually wanted to speak with mister Fudo, you could've done it without threatening him. Not very professional." Adrian mocked once again. He could practically see the steam coming out of the head of Gran Doma as he gripped his gavel so hard, it threatened to snap. How dare this man insult the Magic Council! Had it not been for his blackmail, he would've been thrown into the prison with the key thrown away.
"So if we agree to release Miss Scarlet and Mister Fudo, you'll keep your end of the deal?" Siegrain questioned, speaking everyone's mind.
"Of course… or I might not. It's a risk you'll need to take." Adrian said confidently with an uncaring shrug. It was a tactic he learned a long time ago and it seemed like it would work here. The Magic Council began whispering to each other in terms of what to do. Both Erza and Yusei gave Adrian a look, to which he smiled.
After a few moments, they came to a decision.
"Very well. We will agree to your terms. As of now, the charges against Erza Scarlet have been dropped and both she and Yusei Fudo will be allowed freedom." Gran Doma spoke up before slamming his gavel down. "We will also arrange a carriage for them to return to Magnolia, in exchange for you keeping your end of the bargain, mister Chase." Adrian nodded as the frog woman ripped the file in half. "Dismissed." And with that, the Magic Council members began exiting their seats, but before many of them shot a glare at Adrian. He simply ignored them as a Rune Knight unlocked Erza and Yusei's cuffs, allowing them to rub their wrists.
"Please, come with me." Adrian asked the two Fairy Tail wizards as they exited the courtroom, ensuring that they weren't being listened to. As they walked through the hallways, Adrian took this chance to speak up. "That was quite the trial, wasn't it? They really were trying to-"
"That's enough." Erza cut him off as she and Yusei stopped, glaring at the man. "Tell us who you really are."
"Really? After all I did for you." Adrian said with a 'hurt' tone, though they knew it was fake. "Don't you think your Guild would try their best to help their friends? Is that so hard to believe?"
"Where did you get the evidence?" Yusei questioned.
"Like I said, I have friends. They know what happens in the Council and I thought I'd use it to help some heroes." Adrian told them with a shrug. "But now that you're free and know what the Council will do, I suggest watching yourselves. Because even I have a limit to what I can do." And with that, Adrian began to walk away, feeling that he was done with his little mission.
Until Yusei placed a hand on his shoulder.
"What do you want from us?" Yusei practically demanded, refusing to let go of Adrian's shoulder. He was grateful to be free, but all of this seemed too sketchy to him. Adrian turned his head to look at the Head Signer, then to his shoulder, then to Yusei's eyes before frowning.
"Please let go of my shoulder, mister Fudo. Otherwise, things might get very… comfortable." Adrian said, dropping his mocking tone with a much more serious one. The two stared at one another for a whole minute, with Erza glaring at the attorney in the event he tried something.
"Yusei, it isn't worth it. We shouldn't cause any trouble." Stardust told Yusei in hopes to avoid a fight. Yusei understood what his dragon was saying before he let go of Adrian, who dusted his shoulder.
"I hope we meet again on more… friendly terms." Adrian told them before he walked away, leaving the two wizards alone.
"We can't trust him." Erza told Yusei, who nodded.
As far as they knew, Adrian Chase was a man they needed to learn more about.
Speaking of Adrian, he finally exited the building, taking in a calm breath. However, he caught the smell of smoke near him.
"Do you really think it was wise to interrupt their little trial, Chase?" Next to the attorney, donned in a black trenchcoat, red scarf and black hair was Joker, who casually smoked his cigarette while leaning against a pillar.
"Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't. Either way, the Council knows they aren't invincible." Adrian told the smoker as he pocketed one of his hands. "I'm surprised you waited for me."
"I was bored. Besides, you know I'm more of a working hand kind of hero." Joker told his companion before he smiled. "Think Siegrain and the others liked your little show?"
"They did. Ultear even laughed. It's good to have some realists in there." Adrian said with a chuckle before he looked up. "One by one, this whole Magic Council will crumble down and we'll be on top."
"Agreed." And with that, the two killers left without a trace, aside from a small trail of ashes.
I will admit this: this chapter is something I had been planning for a while. A chance to call out the Magic Council for their bullshit. And who better to do this than the man who acted as Star City's district attorney, who was able to fool everyone into thinking he was one of the good guys? Seriously, Prometheus is one of my favorite Arrowverse villains and having him in this story will be a challenge for everyone.
As you saw, I decided to make Maki Lucy's new roommate, as well as have Oliver live next door. It helps spread out everyone since I doubt all the Champions would be able to live in Natsu's house. And with the Magic Council suspicious of Yusei, just wait until they start investigating all the other Champions.
Next chapter will kick off the Galuna Island arc and let's just say shit will get CRAZY.
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Next time: The Cursed Island